Art of Procurement

Procurement's incentive problem doesn't stop at the contract. It gets worse after signature. In this Phil-Ins episode of "Buy: The Way…To Purposeful Procurement," Rich Ham and Philip Ideson are joined by Kelly Barner to unpack three "Buy Laws" at once, mainly because they're inseparable in practice. First: count only what hits the ledger. If the value doesn't show up in actuals, it doesn't count. That means moving procurement out of the projection business and into the results business… where the CFO lives. Second: stop counting only the good. The status quo lets category managers rack up credit for isolated wins while bad outcomes quietly pile up elsewhere. Procurement can't become more credible (or more strategic) if the scoreboard only records highlights. Third: fund a validation function. If you're going to demand that outcomes be real, you have to resource the work that proves it. Validation isn't optional. It's the bridge between negotiation and execution, the place where contract adherence, leakage, "technically compliant but avoidable" spend, and invoice-level reality either confirm the deal… or expose the fiction. Along the way, the conversation also confronts the uncomfortable tension at the heart of all three Buy Laws: procurement can't control everything that drives financial outcomes. But that can't be an excuse to keep rewarding imagined savings. The answer is a healthier system altogether, which should include clear carve-outs, smarter attribution, and a consistent discipline of asking the simplest kinds of questions procurement too often avoids: "this was supposed to be 12… so why is it 15?" If procurement wants to claim value, they have to stay involved long enough to validate it, and build a measurement system strong enough to survive contact with reality. Links: Rich Ham on LinkedIn Learn more at FineTuneUs.com  

"We compete with people's homes more than we do with other coworking locations because my job is to get people to want to come into my spaces, and that is what I focus on every single day." - Sarah Travers, CEO, Workbar The future of work is unfolding quickly, and procurement leaders who also own real estate decisions can't afford to ignore trends in co-working. Whether you need to unlock flexibility, attract top talent, or better control costs, new workplace models are rapidly replacing traditional long-term leases. In this episode, host Philip Ideson speaks with Sarah Travers, CEO of Workbar, a Boston-based coworking company that has built a flexible, community-focused model for organizations of all sizes. With more than two decades of experience shaping the category, Sarah shares the real reasons organizations pivot from headquarters to hub-and-spoke, how team-share memberships de-risk real estate, and what procurement teams should really look for beyond price per square foot. In this episode, Sarah discusses how to: Evaluate new coworking models to flex with your organization's needs Avoid long-term liabilities by shifting to on-demand and shareable passes Select the right mix of local and global providers to reduce risk Build workplace experiences that go beyond convenience to real engagement Links: Sarah Travers on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

"Sometimes you just need to recognize that getting from the baseline, whatever your baseline, to the next step… that's really significant." - Jyothi Hartley, Director of Digital Enablement, AOP Art of Procurement is proud to launch a brand-new podcast series: the ProcureTech Insider. The procurement technology market is evolving faster than ever, promising exponential transformation. But what actually works in the real world? ProcureTech Insider exists to take procurement leaders and decision makers beyond the hype. In this new series, we will bring you real-world intelligence from practitioners implementing technology, solution providers building next-generation capabilities, and experts and leaders evaluating what delivers impact in practice. In this first episode, Art of Procurement Founder and Managing Director Philip Ideson welcomes Jyothi Harley, AOP's Director of Digital Enablement, to discuss the vision behind the show and to explore what digital transformation can look like inside visionary procurement teams. With more than 25 years of experience across practitioner, transformation, and advisory roles, Jyothi shares why there is no one-size-fits-all blueprint for procurement technology success. Instead of chasing "big bang" transformation, she explains why incremental progress grounded in culture, timing, and organizational readiness often delivers the most sustainable impact. If you're navigating AI buzz, (re)evaluating your tech stack, or feeling pressure to transform faster than your team may be able to absorb, this conversation – and all of those that will follow it – will help you identify your best next step. In this episode, you'll learn: Why there's no universal playbook for digital procurement transformation How to assess your true starting point before investing in new technology Why incremental progress can be more powerful than sweeping change The role culture, adoption, and timing play in successful implementation How AOP's digital enablement practice bridges strategy and execution This episode also marks Art of Procurement's expanded coverage of the rapidly changing procuretech landscape through regular podcast episodes and the ProcureTech100. Links: Download the 2025-26 ProcureTech100 Yearbook Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

"The procurement and supply chain professions are ever more relevant to the prosperity of nations and to businesses as we go into the future." - Ben Farrell, Global Chief Executive Officer, The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) Striking a balance between tradition and disruption is at the top of the agenda for today's procurement leaders. Whether it's shifting global dynamics, technology, or the push for greater influence, the function's boundaries (and its reputation) are up for grabs. Ben Farrell brings a perspective forged in the British Army, major retail, and boardrooms worldwide. Now, as Global CEO of The Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS), he is focused on driving procurement's global profile and advancing the profession for a new generation.  In this episode, Ben shares hard-won leadership lessons and makes his case for a more visible, empowered procurement function. This is a candid conversation about risk, advocacy, and the urgent need to rebrand procurement for the value-driven world. In this episode, Ben covers: Reframing leadership from constraint to empowerment Navigating risk while still pursuing big opportunities Raising the profile of procurement inside and outside of an organization Embracing new technology as a catalyst, not a threat Why CIPS – and procurement itself – may need a new name Links: Ben Farrell on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

Procurement's biggest measurement problem isn't that "savings" is incomplete. It's that "savings" has become a substitute for truth. In the first Buy: The Way…To Purposeful Procurement episode of 2026, co-hosts Philip Ideson and Rich Ham unveil the first of the show's new procurement "Buy-laws." It's the one that almost every serious practitioner agrees with, but very few organizations are ready to operationalize: replace savings with defined value. That doesn't mean adding a few extra KPIs in addition to savings. It means removing the word entirely and replacing it with a primary metric that includes verified spend reduction and revenue generation, plus company-specific priorities like emissions reduction, process improvement, resilience, risk reduction, and anything else the business actually cares about.  To help map what this kind of "value" can and should include, Phil and Rich are joined by Omer Abdullah, co-founder of The Smart Cube and co-author of Risk and Your Supply Chain: Preparing for the Next Global Crisis. Omer has spent decades close to the function, advising teams, building intelligence services around procurement decisions, and now working at the intersection of startups, go-to-market strategy, and what he calls a "post-AI" future for procurement. The idea of "post-AI" matters more than it sounds. Omer isn't talking about a world where AI fades away. He's talking about the moment when AI becomes a hygiene factor – embedded, expected, and no longer a differentiator. The result is uncomfortable: once AI takes the transactional load, procurement doesn't automatically become "more strategic." Not unless leaders define what that actually means, what outcomes it should produce, and how to measure those outcomes without defaulting back to the simplest (and most misleading) number on the page. The conversation also goes straight at one of procurement's most corrosive incentives: short-termism. The function keeps making long-term sacrifices for short-term wins because the system asks it to. Rich calls it a "scourge," and Omer lays out what a healthier alternative could look like. He recommends a scorecard that includes in-year expectations, multi-year outcomes that reflect how value compounds over time, and a controlled level of discretionary evaluation to capture the contributions that matter but refuse to sit neatly inside a spreadsheet cell.  Underneath all of this is a truth that the episode doesn't dodge: none of it works without executive support. The CFO and CEO have to buy into procurement's expanded definition of value. Procurement can't wait to be understood; they have to be sold. Procurement is a business within a business, and the C-suite is its most important customer. If leaders don't see the function's potential, it's on procurement to advocate, educate, and prove (through better definitions and better scorekeeping) that the status quo isn't merely outdated. It's actively harmful. Links: Omer Abdullah on LinkedIn Rich Ham on LinkedIn Learn more at FineTuneUs.com  

"Procurement is what you make of it. It can be a bargain basement function at some firms, but it's also becoming more strategic. We have to take a more holistic, integrated view of things and try to understand the big business problems we can help solve and then offer a business solution, not just a procurement solution." – Amit Saronwala, VP, Global Indirect Supply Management, Medtronic Procurement leaders in healthcare are feeling the heat: innovation cycles are tightening, supplier bases are vast, and new pressures on cost and cash flow are here to stay. So how do you build more agile, high-performing procurement teams without adding complexity or burning out your people? In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Amit Saronwala, VP of Global Indirect Supply Management at Medtronic, and Jeremy Lappin, CEO of Candex. Amit draws from his clinical experience and deep commercial expertise to share how Medtronic is recasting procurement's role by focusing on smarter supplier segmentation, business-centric metrics, and technology that makes friction disappear. Jeremy adds perspective from supporting global procurement teams at scale, revealing where automation and analytics can create breathing room for strategic work. This conversation takes a candid look at how one of healthcare's biggest names is making indirect procurement a critical lever for business value and what it takes to bring suppliers and stakeholders on the journey. In this episode, Amit and Jeremy discuss how procurement can: Set a clear line for strategic vs. transactional suppliers… and stick to it Speak "business" (not just "procurement") to increase influence with stakeholders Automate low-risk, high-volume purchases to free up valuable talent Choose tools that require little or no change management for smoother adoption Redefine procurement's core skillset for the next five years Links: Amit Saronwala on LinkedIn Jeremy Lappin on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

"Now with agentic AI, RFPs are becoming and will become even leaner, and they'll cut to the chase a whole lot faster. There'll be a lot less fluff." - Barri Horn, Director of Product Marketing for AI for SAP Ariba and SAP Fieldglass' strategic procurement portfolios AI is reshaping the RFP process, but smart procurement leaders know they have to think beyond speed or efficiency drivers and, instead, reimagine the value they deliver. As teams turn to AI to break free from past challenges, the question isn't if change is coming, but how to capture its advantages while managing risk, trust, and adoption. In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Barri Horn, Director of Product Marketing for AI for SAP Ariba and SAP Fieldglass' strategic procurement portfolios, to dig into what's truly changing in the world of RFPs, why agentic AI is different from yesterday's tools, and how procurement can use new technology without losing stakeholder trust.  Expect practical, leader-level guidance for running better RFPs and rolling out AI that sticks. Barri discusses workflows, pitfalls, and organizational mindsets that separate successful AI adoption from failed pilots: How to streamline repetitive RFP tasks with AI so teams can focus on insight Asking smarter, market-driven questions without overwhelming suppliers Aligning AI "autonomy" with procurement's risk comfort level Building trust and credibility through transparency and foundational training Resetting and rebooting change programs to support adoption Links: Barri Horn on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

"There is a limit on how much you can save, but there is no limit on how much you can make." - Sergio Martin Procurement is evolving fast. The true differentiator now is how the function can become a partner for growth and resilience. That means reimagining "customer experience" at every touchpoint, not just inside the business, but with suppliers as well. In this episode, procurement advisor and former procurement and supply chain executive Sergio Martin explains what it takes to deliver that value. Sergio shares practical stories from his experience at companies like Burberry and Dyson, explores what it means to move beyond "cost control," and reveals why empathy, expertise, and credibility are non-negotiable. In this episode, Sergio discusses: Defining the idea of a "customer" for stakeholders and suppliers Shifting procurement's mindset from savings to growth Building credibility through continuous expertise Becoming the customer of choice for innovation and resilience Links: Sergio Martin on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

"Persuasion is about your intent. If your intent is solely to win at the other person's expense, that's manipulation. If you want the other party to also benefit from the conversation, then that's collaborative, and that's ethical persuasion." - Martin John Procurement leaders know that success often depends on more than just negotiating skills or cost models; it demands the ability to influence people at every level.  But what does it take to move from presenting facts to truly persuading suppliers, stakeholders, and executives to take action? This is a question that's more urgent than ever in today's complex business environment. In this episode of Art of Procurement, Philip Ideson speaks with Martin John, a seasoned procurement pro and licensed ethical persuasion trainer. Martin shares tools and science-backed frameworks that chief procurement officers and their teams can use right away. He pulls back the curtain on Cialdini's principles, real-world negotiation stories, and how to avoid crossing the line into manipulation. In this episode, Martin discusses how to: Recognize the thin line between ethical persuasion and manipulation Build trust and rapport faster using evidence, not guesswork Move beyond data to engage the emotions and subconscious drivers of decision-makers Translate behavioral science into everyday procurement Links: Martin John on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

"Direct materials is the most under-innovated, untouched by modern technology of any spend area." - Spencer Penn, Co-Founder and CEO, LightSource Direct spend makes up the lion's share of the procurement budget, but all too often, it's still managed in spreadsheets and disconnected tools. Today's volatile supply market and relentless cost pressures demand more.  What is holding companies back from real transformation in direct procurement, and where do the smartest teams focus their innovation efforts? In this AOP podcast episode, host Philip Ideson speaks with Spencer Penn, co-founder and CEO of LightSource. Drawing from his hands-on experience at Tesla and Waymo, Spencer explains why direct procurement's digital journey has lagged behind indirect, and what it takes to move from manual, reactive "firefighting" to scalable, collaborative value creation.  If you're wondering how to unite engineering, procurement, and finance to drive structural cost reduction, or how to leverage tech for more than basic automation, this episode is a must-listen. In this episode, Spencer talks about how to: Make sense of why most direct procurement processes are still manual Learn how collaboration between procurement, engineering, and suppliers drives lasting savings See where legacy thinking and incentives stall change (and how to overcome it) Discover what tech can enable and when people are essential Find out why small sourcing decisions at scale become huge bottom-line wins Links: Spencer Penn on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

"AI has fantastic value when you look at spend analytics, sourcing decisions, and process efficiency, but to replace the infancy stage that allows you to have a relationship with stakeholders, I think, is a mistake." – Brad Keighley Digitization and automation promise so much for procurement, but what gets lost if we let technology run the show? As organizations scale and regulatory pressure mounts, the ability to connect on a human level can become a procurement superpower. Ignore it, and procurement risks becoming just another system, not a strategic partner. As a multiple-time CPO and procurement transformation leader, Brad Keighley has built teams for startups, pre-IPO rocket ships, and tech giants. In this episode, he shares how to structure procurement for growth while staying close to stakeholders, explains why focusing only on savings is a mistake, and offers practical approaches to scaling service without losing the personal touch. In this conversation, Brad discusses how to: Diagnose and fix legacy issues to win skeptical stakeholders Sell the true value of procurement by leading with risk management and compliance Build a "white glove" centralized service model for maximum spend capture and influence Layer automation and analytics where it matters, without sacrificing partnership Use stakeholder feedback to drive continuous improvement and protect procurement's reputation Links: Brad Keighley on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

"Efficiency should fund the future, not erase the people needed to deliver it." – Philip Ideson, Founder and Managing Director of Art of Procurement 2026 is going to be another year of volatility, but it will also be a year of immense opportunity for procurement pragmatists, the ones who are willing to do the work to build the future rather than just waiting for it to arrive. In a tradition that dates back to 2018, Art of Procurement rings in the new year with Founder and Managing Director Philip Ideson's Annual Message. Each year's perspectives are shaped by hundreds of conversations with procurement leaders, providers, subject matter experts, and people both inside and outside the world of procurement. This year, Philip reflects on changes being felt across the professional community and also shares his vision for the next evolution of Art of Procurement.  In this episode, Philip elaborates on: Which path to take in an exciting, but also overwhelming, digital procurement landscape How procurement operating models need to adjust to take not just AI into account, but also the pure intent of the function The 'elephant in the room' - which is not AI, but the readiness and culture that have to be prepared to receive and leverage the new opportunities it creates Links: Art of Procurement Annual Letters Philip Ideson on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

"The first time that you speak with a supplier shouldn't be in a time of crisis. Our best customers work with us regularly, and we're constantly hearing from them." - Rick Bond, Chief Revenue Officer, Safeware When a crisis hits, procurement must move at lightning speed… but without cutting corners.  How do public agencies build systems that are nimble, compliant, and ready for anything? The answer to that question lies in proactive preparation, robust cooperative agreements, and the partnerships that power an effective emergency response. In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Tammy Rimes, Executive Director of National Cooperative Procurement Partners, and Rick Bond, Safeware's Chief Revenue Officer. Together, they share what really happens behind the scenes when disaster strikes, and how contract strategies and supplier relationships can turn from routine to lifesaving overnight. They also examine hard lessons learned from the pandemic, the critical role of due diligence, and why warehousing strategies are making a comeback. From practical war stories to high-level frameworks, this episode is a playbook for anyone navigating risk and rapid response. In this episode, Tammy and Rick discuss how to: Create ready-to-launch emergency contracts before you need them Run fast but thorough due diligence, even with "easy" agreements Build supplier relationships that go beyond the transaction Balance just-in-time strategies with smart warehousing investments Hold both parties accountable for resilience, not just price Links: Executive Briefing: Cooperative Procurement as a Tool for Emergency Preparedness Tammy Rimes on LinkedIn Rick Bond on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

After 23 episodes of dissecting procurement's incentive flaws, behavioral blind spots, and structural contradictions, the "Buy: The Way…To Purposeful Procurement" podcast team closes season one with something different: reflection, humor, a little chaos, and a first look at what comes next. In this episode, Rich Ham seizes the mic for a surprise "hostile takeover," pulling Philip Ideson and Kelly Barner into a rapid-fire look back at the most memorable moments of the season. What follows is part game show, part roast, and part highlight reel. In short, the perfect way to close a project built on saying the quiet parts out loud. Rich counts down his "top seven" insights from guests like Martin Chilcott, Thomas Udesen, Kate Vitasek, and Omid Ghamami, and the topics they discussed, from decarbonization realities to incentive design failures, from short-termism to purpose-driven procurement.  The list captures what this season repeatedly revealed: procurement isn't held back by a lack of talent or ambition, but by systems and incentives that don't reflect the impact leaders know they can deliver. This episode isn't just a retrospective. It also marks the transition from discovery to design.  After months of interviews, research, and internal debate, the team announces what's next: The Buylaws – a set of guiding principles for a healthier, more purposeful procurement incentive system. Early 2026 will bring a new mini-series dedicated to unpacking each one of these recommendations. As we've learned, procurement's potential is enormous, but potential becomes purpose only when incentives, behavior, and business outcomes finally align. Links: Rich Ham on LinkedInLearn more at FineTuneUs.com

"If you don't go on the journey, you risk being left behind. The key is to try, learn, and apply AI in a way that creates real value." - Fang Chang, EVP and Chief Product Officer at SAP AI isn't just another feature on your tech checklist. It's changing the way procurement teams deliver impact… but only for those bold enough to rethink from the ground up.  In this podcast episode, host Philip Ideson speaks with Fang Chang, EVP and Chief Product Officer at SAP, who shares what it looks like to rebuild an established platform like Ariba on a true AI foundation. Fang's team didn't just layer new tech onto old workflows; they tore everything down and rebuilt with AI at the core.  If you've ever asked whether your team should wait for the "next" wave of AI innovation or start learning by doing, this conversation is a must-listen. Fang walks through technical choices, balancing agility with reliability, and what an AI-powered procurement experience now enables for the business. In this episode, Fang discusses: Why simply layering AI onto legacy tools leaves value on the table How to decide where AI creates business outcomes… and where it doesn't What real agility looks like in a fast-evolving AI landscape How contextual "insights to action" bring value at every step The new balance of human oversight with AI-driven workflows Links: Fang Chang on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

After nearly a year of exploring procurement's incentive paradox from every angle, Philip Ideson, Rich Ham, and Kelly Barner reconvene to connect the dots between three of the series' most thought-provoking guests: Jason Brown, David Loseby, and Omid Ghamami. Each offered a distinct lens on the same fundamental question: What does performance really mean in procurement today? Jason Brown framed incentives as an operating system: a structure that shapes behavior and defines what purpose looks like in practice. David Loseby reminded us that real change starts with understanding people, not just systems. And Omid Ghamami challenged procurement to stop claiming victory at contract signature and start measuring success by real-world outcomes actually achieved. As the co-hosts unpack these different takes on procurement performance, they uncover a unifying truth: procurement's metrics may have been right for their time, but the time has changed. Savings-driven scorecards and transactional incentives no longer fit a function expected to deliver innovation, resilience, and strategic value. The discussion also looks ahead to what comes next as the co-hosts think about how AI reshapes the function, causing headcounts to shrink and expectations to rise. Can procurement redefine its purpose before automation defines it for them? The answer, they argue, lies in alignment: between incentives and impact, between humans and technology, and between what we buy and what we're genuinely trying to achieve. Links: Rich Ham on LinkedInLearn more at FineTuneUs.com

"Your contracts are your source of truth. You should have a tool that can go through the contracts and help you understand the impact and make an assessment, all in one place." -Toby Laforest, Senior Director PMM - Market Insights and Solutions at Ironclad  Procurement leaders can no longer afford to wait for requests to land in their inbox. Facing regulatory change, market volatility, and growing demand for business partnership, some organizations are reimagining their procurement operating models and putting technology and process both front and center.  In this Art of Procurement podcast episode, Clare Cassano, Head of Procurement Strategy & Execution at Invesco, and Toby LaForest from Ironclad, share how Invesco tackled the shift from reactive service to proactive business enablement. They discuss the tough choices behind their technology stack, the reality of orchestration layers, and why "best fit" often wins over "best-in-class" for their unique needs. Listen in for practical lessons on realigning talent, building true contract intelligence, and future-proofing your procurement process with an eye toward AI and automation.  In this episode, Clare and Toby discuss: How AI-enabled contract management can deliver real-time contract insights, not just document storage Honest advice about choosing best fit tech over one-size-fits-all suites Future opportunities (and things to watch out for) related to agentic AI in procurement Links: Toby Laforest on LinkedIn Clare Cassano on LinkedIn From Reactive to Strategic: Transforming Procurement Through Contract Intelligence Contracting for Speed: How Orchestration Empowers Procurement Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube  

"Taking the time to get input, to get the feedback and listen to the needs might add a few weeks up front, but ultimately, you're going to have a better, stronger solution and support and alignment." - Jesse Jacoby, Founder and Managing Principal, Emergent, LLC Procurement and business leaders face a tangled web: legacy systems, evolving digital capabilities, and rising pressure to do more with less.  How do you design an operating model that truly enables transformation without adding more complexity? In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Jesse Jacoby, Founder and Managing Principal at Emergent LLC. Jesse's experience guiding Fortune 500 organizations through high-stakes change gives him a practical, people-focused outlook on what really makes business transformation work. In this episode, Philip and Jesse explore how operating models can either help or hinder procurement, why quick fixes rarely stick, and how to leverage change management and AI for meaningful, lasting results. Jesse's insights on avoiding common mistakes and building "muscle memory" for change are a must-hear for anyone stepping into (or leading) transformation. In this episode, Jesse discusses how to: See operating models as interconnected "super systems" rather than isolated processes   Identify and untangle legacy complexity before making changes   Make the case for change both rationally and emotionally   Use AI to augment – not replace – human decision-making   Build resilience with ongoing, bite-sized upskilling programs Links: Jesse Jacoby on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

"We want our customers to be able to put their own internal procurement rules into our Amazon Business marketplace, so they can feel secure and still get that great experience." - Todd Heimes, Vice President and General Manager, Amazon Business Worldwide  Right now, procurement leaders are balancing pressure to deliver savings, manage risk, and remove barriers for business users. As organizations get more complex, the need for connected digital procurement – and real-time, actionable insights – makes all the difference. In this episode, Philip Ideson speaks with Todd Heimes, Vice President and General Manager of Amazon Business Worldwide. With over two decades at Amazon, Todd shares how the team is tackling tail spend, embedding compliance, and rolling out new analytics and AI-driven tools designed for modern enterprise needs. They go beyond just digital catalogs: this is about building a procurement ecosystem that works for both CPOs and everyday users. This conversation is an inside look at how Amazon Business is helping procurement teams automate the busywork, drive transparency, and support smarter, decentralized decision-making.  In this episode, Todd discusses: How to build digital procurement that fits your tech stack, not works against it Reducing rogue spend while making buying easier for users Using guided buying to set rules and drive compliance invisibly Turning analytics and AI into real actions, not just reporting Links: Todd Heimes on LinkedIn Subscribe to This Week in Procurement Subscribe to Art of Procurement on YouTube

Procurement's problem isn't speed. It's form.  They've gotten great at automating and accelerating weak processes while quietly rewarding the "good contract, bad deal" mentality that ultimately undercuts their own efforts. In this podcast episode of "Buy: The Way…To Purposeful Procurement," Omid Ghamami, president of the Procurement and Supply Chain Management Institute and former Intel purchasing operations leader, joins co-hosts Philip Ideson and Rich Ham to challenge procurement's most comfortable (bad) habits.  He argues that the function claims victory at signature, books "savings" that never actually hit the P&L, and then moves on to the next thing while suppliers are left to harvest margin in the years that follow. Omid also goes after the most likely root causes of all these bad habits: procurement lets business units fixate on what they want to buy instead of what they need to accomplish. That framing hardwires cost into scopes through custom specs, gold-plating, and activity-based requirements.  The cure is outcome design and total cost discipline up front, informed by external references, public contracts, internal history, and supplier knowledge. Pay now or pay later… and most teams pay later. Procurement needs to stop rewarding the 'heroes' who rush in to fix broken deals instead of the leaders who design processes that prevent fires in the first place. As Omid puts it, "We don't reward Smokey the Bear. We reward the firefighters."  If incentives continue to glorify this kind of firefighting, the flames will keep coming. But when procurement starts recognizing prevention as performance, they will finally become the quiet force that keeps value – and trust – intact.